117 - Building Emergent Media: Scaling a Multimedia Agency from College to Major Brand Campaigns

The InNOLEvation® Mindset, powered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, Host Mark McNees interviews Matt Liebman, founder and COO of Emergent Media Company, about starting a media agency in college, rebranding after graduation to attract higher-end clients, and studying entrepreneurship at FSU’s Jim Moran College after switching from political science. Liebman shares his upbringing across Miami, New Jersey, Michigan, and South Florida, and how his father’s broadcasting career inspired his work. He explains Emergent Media’s ability to scale from social retainer content to large commercial shoots, citing projects with Taylor Fritz/HEAD Tennis, influencer Zandra, and ongoing work with the Florida Realtors Association, including filming political events. He discusses referral-based growth, AI integration, operational and legal challenges, mindset habits like running and prayer, goals for a self-sustaining business, and advice to his younger self. 00:00 Meet the Host and Guest 00:31 Emergent Media Origin Story 01:06 FSU Major Switch to Entrepreneurship 05:00 College Life During COVID 05:51 Growing Up Across States 08:37 First Camera and First Gigs 12:47 Building a Scalable Media Agency 15:30 Political Work and Realtor Clients 17:21 Referrals, Sales Funnel, and AI 20:18 Automating Agency Workflows 21:02 AI for Creative Output 22:27 Who Needs Video Strategy 23:00 Case Study Its a 10 24:08 Why In House Teams Hire 26:43 Dream Clients and Wins 27:11 Royal Caribbean Full Circle 30:07 Nike as the Goal 30:48 Surprises of Scaling 35:05 Mindset Rituals and Prayer 37:58 Future Goals and Gratitude 40:59 Final Advice and Wrap